LAKE HUNTINGTON — At a meeting held on March 8, the Town of Cochecton Board decided to reverse its previous decision to divide the town’s highway budget in two: $30,000 for capital improvements and $53,000 for highway repair. The town’s new highway superintendent, Brian DuBois, was vehemently opposed the earlier decision.

The new budget decision will lower capital improvement funds to $5,000, and increase the highway repair by $25,000 for a total of $78,000.

At last month’s meeting, the board wanted to know how much repaving or capital improvements DuBois planned for this spring. Dubois refused to give them the information.

Each year the highway superintendent must sign an agreement demanded by law stating how much he will spend on capital improvements and how much on repair.

"How am I supposed to know how much repaving I will do until I get to know the condition of the roads? I don’t have a crystal ball," he told the board at the meeting.

Finally agreeing with him, the board decided to compromise while still observing the law.

"We recognize that Brian is new and doesn’t know the roads yet so it’s hard for him to make predictions," said board member Larry Richardson.

DuBois submited the signed agreement at a reconvened board meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 13 in the town hall. The board approved the highway agreement in a 3-2 vote, with Indelicato and Daisy Smith voting against the measure.